Bleak
by ZombieLycan
Summary: After the events of Awakening, Selene and her allies face an uncertain future ahead of them as the war becomes increasingly corrupt within all three species. Tensions grow even further with a new leader taking over the vampire coven and a mass-retaliation plot from both species. R
1. Selene's Burden

**DISCLAIMER: Obviously, I do not own Underworld. Underworld belongs to Screen Gems.**

**This is my first fanfic. Review and feedback are much appreciated!  
**

* * *

_Chapter 1: Selene's Burden  
Selene's POV_

How long has this war been going on for? And how long will it be until it ends? And which side will be victorious? The answers are unpredictable. The Lycans have gained the upper hand now. Using the humans to distract the coven, the Lycans mapped out their own master plan to strengthen their own species and eradicate our own. And now that the humans are now involved in the war, the battlefield has become even deadlier than previously.

But why must this war go on? At this point, both sides have no more reasons to fight each other. It seemed that when we fight for peace, more blood is shed to the ground. To them, the only way to put an end to that is more bloodshed. And even if one side is triumphant, what will they gain?

* * *

_October 11__th__, 2024, 10:44 PM _

David, Eve, and I searched Budapest for Michael Corvin. Eve, with the ability to see what Michael was seeing, was easily able to track him down. It has been merely one hour since Antigen went out of commission, but it seemed like an eternity before we finally tracked Michael down at Pier 9: the docks that separated me from him.

"Michael?" I called out quietly as I came across him in a corner. He was covered in Lycan blood from the remaining members of Antigen that went in his way and he was in Hybrid form. Immediately when he caught his first glimpse at me, he violently threw me to the ground; apparently thinking it is an enemy that he is attacking. His claws pinned me down; the force of which was so powerful, I could hear my shoulder bones starting to snap. He roared at my face, looking like he was about to bite my head off. "Michael, stop! It's me!" I yelled. But he continued to hold me down. Then he began biting my neck and drinking my blood.

"Shit, he's going to kill her!" David shouted before he and Eve moved to restrain Michael, forcing him to release his grip on me. He grabs a syringe from his jacket pocket, but the confused Michael then punched David in the stomach; the force of the punch throwing him approximately three yards away.

Michael then rushed towards David, but Eve intervenes, knocking Michael down, partially transformed in her Hybrid form. "We're not trying to hurt you father," she said, holding him down. "But we're not gonna let you hurt us!"

After a moment, my injuries have been healed well enough that I could stand up. I grabbed the syringe that David dropped and stuck it in Michael's neck. The sedatives used had him revert to his human form and rendered him unconscious. "Sorry, Michael, but this is for your own good."

Eve rushed to my side. "Mother, are you alright? You could have been killed."

"I've been through much worse," I replied.

"Talk about a family reunion," David chuckled. "But on a serious note, we should get to the safehouse before the humans find us."

Even though this was not quite the reunion that I anticipated, it had brought warm feelings in my heart to be with him for the first time in twelve years, even though I have been asleep for that long.

The underground safehouse was located near a river. A secret entrance was located on the trail in the woods. Inside, the safehouse had a simple interior without being as fancy as the ones we had twelve years ago. It had an armory that stocks enough ammo to last a year and an infirmary for any wounded vampires.

"David, how is Michael doing?" I asked.

"He's fine," David replied. "He'll wake up soon after the sedatives wear off."

"We all should get some rest as well," I suggested. "We all seem to be pretty worn out."

* * *

_October 12__th__, 2024, 3:30 AM_

But I couldn't get much sleep myself. I went out of bed, got dressed, and walked outside of the safehouse. I sat near the edge of the river. The sound of the waterfall was soothing; the opposite feeling of being in a war zone. However, the darkened clouds and rainfall seemed to make me sad.

Throughout the night, I kept thinking about the future; thinking about what the next move will be and who will execute it. Knowing that the Lycans had suffered a significant blow with the destruction of Antigen, they will be more likely to plot it. And what will the vampires do to retake their former positions twelve years ago?

And Eve…

It was a terrible time to have a child born in this war-torn world. How will I take care of her when Lycans will be constantly after her? And if we are not there for her, will she be able to fend for herself? I never wanted to see my daughter as a tool for the Lycans' reign. Having to fight at the age of twelve reminded me of the conflicts in the Middle East years ago, where children were fighting and dying. I wish we raised her away from this war.

But I know that more than ever, I feel like I'm a vital key to the war's progress. And now I will eventually be needed more than ever, despite the vampires' doubts and antagonism against me. Perhaps, all of these events are a sign that I should not run away from the war, but try to end it.

* * *

_Michael's POV_

_Where the hell am I?_ I thought to myself as I got out of bed. As I searched the safehouse, I saw the two that restrained me sleeping in their bunks. The last thing I saw before falling unconscious was that I was tackling Selene, blindly thinking she was one of the enemies, then getting restrained by those two. I assumed that they are Selene's allies. I didn't want to wake them because it would be rude to do so. Then, I looked at the calendar, which was set at October 26th, 2024. _Shit, I have been sleeping in that fucking freezer for that long?_

I went outside the safehouse and saw Selene sitting near the river. "Hey," I said as I sat with her.

"Ah, you're awake," Selene exclaimed.

"What are you doing out here in the rain?" I asked her.

"I just couldn't sleep at all last night. I probably just needed some time to think outside," she answered solemnly.

"Are you feeling okay?" I questioned as Selene began to look forlorn.

"It's just that just over a day ago, I found out that I have a daughter," Selene answered. I, myself, was shocked to hear that I have a daughter, but not terribly surprised after our multiple 'moments' we had with each other. "I felt guilty, not having raised her for the twelve years that I was frozen. I just wished things were different for the three of us. I wish this war is over..."

I sat closer to Selene and patted her back. "I know that it seems hard on you; in fact, after hearing this, it felt hard on me too, but we can find a way to make this right. We are together again."

"Yeah," Selene said with more enthusiasm. "We are together."

"Selene, I'm sorry about what happened before; I didn't know what I was doing when I awoke," I explained.

"Forget it. As long as you don't kill me, you don't have to feel guilty about it," she smirked.

"I could have, though," I added.

Selene smiled. "You shouldn't worry about be so much."

The rain began to pour even harder. I almost have a feeling that I'll catch pneumonia, although I am immortal if I stay outside in heavy rainfall for far too long. "I think we should head back inside. The rain's gonna get worse."


	2. A War of Lies

_Chapter 2: A War of Lies  
Selene's POV_

Though the military forces in Europe and North America are still performing mass cleansings against the immortals, there are some humans that oppose these atrocities. After the destruction of Antigen, rumors of the members of that organization being Lycans disguised as humans (which, we knew, was true) spread throughout the internet, which were later confirmed true following the autopsy reports. Of course, the media had covered up this incident from the public eye, but by that time, an article by an anonymous writer was posted online.

* * *

The article reads as follows:

_Title: A War of Lies: Are our actions justified or are we becoming the enemy?  
By: Anonymous  
Date: October 17th__, 2024_

"_After the incident at Antigen, we have found out from the autopsy reports that most members operating the company were actually Lycans. I know that most people know this by now, but there is a lot more to say about this war that the vampires and Lycans are facing. _

"_Before the purge, the vampires had depended on cloned blood from a company called Ziodex Industries, meaning that they had no need to feed on living humans to survive. The Lycans similarly had no need to attack humans, as they depended on animals for food. Both sides had to abide to a rule NOT to expose their kind to the mortal beings. _

"_This meant that they were no threat to the humans and they had never been for almost a millennia. But then, when the humans discovered the existence of both species, instead of quarantining or imprisoning anyone infected by the viruses, they have decided to commit genocide! The actions the military had made against them are immoral and inhumane; some of them could just be innocent non-combatants. What they have done is get caught in the middle of an extremely lengthy war that has went on for centuries and if the humans continue to interfere with the war, it could last longer than we would expect._

"_So I ask the public: Are our actions justified or are we becoming the enemy?"_

* * *

The article went viral just minutes after it was posted, spreading through the internet like a wildfire that the media cannot put out. Soon, people began to question whether the actions really were justified. The military was soon prohibited from performing mass executions on the immortals, though they were allowed to capture and interrogate them.

This 'Anonymous' person, though; how the hell does he know about the war and about both species? Judging by the knowledge he has about them, I can assume that he could be a vampire or a Lycan, or even a spy working for the government?

* * *

_October 18th, 2024, 3:17 PM_

I went to check in with Detective Alan Sebastian, as he just informed me that he has new information on the Lycans. I knocked on his office door two times. "Sebastian, it's me, Selene!" I called.

Sebastian opened the door and greeted me. "It's great to see you again, Selene. I have a lot of information to show you and it also relates to this 'Anonymous' person that's getting a shit ton of buzz."

"I'm all ears," I said.

Sebastian brought out a document folder and set it on the table. "I have been tracking comms from the Lycans and they have reported that they have captured Anonymous. He has been identified as Ben Walker, an ex-member of Antigen." Sebastian then opened to file, which revealed Ben's personal profile and Antigen employee data. "He is alleged to have been spying on Antigen ever since his employment."

"Do you know where they have taken him?" I asked Sebastian.

"To an isolated prison camp twenty miles north of Budapest," he informed. "Satellites have easily tracked the location of it so it will be easy for you to find him."

"So you want us to break him out?"

"That's right. He might have even more information if we interrogate him. I cannot join you, as my hands are full with the situation in Budapest." He moves to his PC. "I've done a 3D analysis on the fortress. It's a five story building that is heavily guarded. You might want to bring what you can here. Bring Ben here if he is still alive."

* * *

_October 18th, 2024, 3:20 PM  
__Joseph Walker's POV  
_

"Do you want a refill for your coffee?" the waitress asked me.

"Of course," I said as she pours iced coffee in my cup. The song, "Money" by Pink Floyd played on the PA in the restaurant; I couldn't help but tap my fingers to the 7/4 beat to the song.

I was the second-in-command of the 54th squad of SIAF (Special Immortal Activities Forces) that originates in Britain and unlike the military, we do not execute vampire and Lycans, but rather imprison them and interrogate them for any intel. My brother, Ben Walker, was sent by our unit to investigate Antigen, as we had suspicious feeling about the activity. Twelve years had passed since Antigen began and they released very little to no information after the purge. However, recently, after Ben discovered that many members were, in fact, Lycans, we had been sent for reconnaissance and to prevent any extreme attacks against the humans.

My Blackberry vibrated. As I unlocked it, it unveiled a distress beacon by Ben, moving northward from Budapest. The waitress came to me. "How was your lunch, sir?"

"It was delicious," I said in a rush. "Look, I have to go right now, ma'am." I then grabbed my wallet and gave her a 20 euro bill plus a 5 euro tip. "Keep the change."

I walked out of the restaurant, then brought out my Blackberry again and called the squad leader, John Garza. "Garza here."

"I got word that our damsel in distress has been kidnapped," I said. "His distress beacon points to a fortress 20-or-so miles away from here." Although I am pretty calm saying that, in reality, I am really worried for my brother.

"I have Eddie with me. I'm coming to pick you up," Garza said. "What resistance will we be up against?"

"Fairly heavy considering it's a fuckin' fortress. Should be a cakewalk, you think?"

"Joseph, you underestimate what the vampires and Lycans can do," Garza sighed.

"Let me send the fortress to HQ for an advanced analysis of the building," I said, giving HQ the coordinates of the building's location.

* * *

_3:30 PM_

Garza's jeep arrived shortly after with Eddie riding the back seat. "Get in, Joseph."

"Alright, HQ has given me a 3D satellite scan of the fortress," I informed them as I took shotgun, looking at the data from my phone. "We are certainly facing against Lycan opposition; around a hundred of them guard the building. Also, besides Ben, hundreds of vampires and human soldiers have been imprisoned there."

"Our main priority is your brother. We shouldn't start a mass prison break because of the risks it has against humans," Garza suggested.

"I guess bringing in a UAV to blow this place to kingdom come isn't really a great idea," I said. "Looks like stealth is our best option. With heavy resistance, it won't be an easy battle."


	3. Joint Ops

_Chapter 3: Joint Operations  
October 18__th__, 2024, 7:00 PM  
Selene's POV_

The Amelia Scorpio fortress: Named after one of the three slain Elders, this fortress was originally owned by the vampires during World War II and the Cold War. But after the purge, the Lycans took it over, imprisoning surrendered vampires for interrogation and execution. Looking from the woods, we observed the fortress' surroundings. An electric fence surrounded the premise, preventing trespassers from entering. And even if they could leap through the fence, the abundance of Lycan guards stationed there would overwhelm them. The front entrance was heavily guarded by Lycan troopers on the ground and a few snipers on the second, third, fourth, and fifth balconies. The back entrance was also heavily guarded, but to a lesser extent. The side entrances on the West and East sides, however, were less guarded than the rest. But I'm mostly worried about the opposition inside the fortress. Because the 3D scans that the satellites gave us were only able to analyze the exterior of buildings, it won't be easy to find Ben.

I installed a suppressor on both of my Beretta 92FS pistols while David installed his own on his M4A1 carbine. We each carried silver nitrate bullets, two silver grenades, and a few breaching charges. "David and I will enter the fortress and get Ben out of there. Michael, Eve, you two should stay put for now. It's too risky to stealthily infiltrate this place as a group," I suggested.

"But if things go hairy, we'll notify you," David said to them.

"Looks like we're going to have some more father-daughter time, Eve," Michael told his daughter.

David then began testing the headsets strapped to our ears. "Can you two hear us?"

"Crystal clear," Michael confirmed.

"Same with mine," Eve added.

"Selene, are you sure that our stealthy approach is a good idea?" David questioned me, observing the fortress' surroundings. "It seems too heavily guarded."

"Going out with guns blazing isn't really a good idea either," I argued. "Either way, Ben is vital for our mission; as he has possible vital information on the Lycans."

I looked at Michael and Eve one more time. It seemed too risky to bring them here, since the Lycans have them as their top priority. I feared that they may get themselves captured, but I trust them enough for them to handle themselves.

David and I hopped over the fence of the East entrance. Before the Lycan guards could react, we swiftly and quietly executed them, and then David shot the security camera near the door. The suppressors on our guns reduced the noise significantly, sounding as quiet as a whistle. "It won't be long before they discover the bodies," I informed David. "We need to press on."

* * *

_Joseph's POV_

"Eddie, be careful!" I shouted quietly as my squadmate got near the fence. "That fence is electric. You DON'T want to touch that."

"In this case," Garza started before releasing an EMP grenade near the circuit breaker. The grenade burst open, releasing energy that shut down the electricity on the fence. He touched the fence and began climbing it. "It's safe to climb it now."

All of us were issued XM8 assault rifles with red-dot scopes and suppressors on them as well as two flashbang grenades and two EMP grenades. After confirming that the fortress was secured by the Lycans, we carried silver nitrate rounds.

We pressed on to the west entrance, taking out the guards silently. Eddie took out the security camera near the door.

"Since we do not know the interior of the building, we may be facing a great deal of forces on our way to our informant," Garza noted to Eddie and I before we entered inside.

* * *

_Michael's POV  
_

"Father, how did you and Mother meet?" Eve asked me, wanting to know more about Selene and I.

I began to think about how it all came to this moment, back when my former wife, Samantha Corvin, died in that fatal accident long ago. I could remember it all picture perfect, as if I was watching a home movie. I saw myself in the driver's seat of my Toyota Supra with Samantha riding shotgun on the way back home; a driver that was escaping police clipping my car at blistering speeds, causing it to flip over a hill; the car catching fire with Samantha trapped inside; my inability to save her without getting myself burned. I just didn't want to talk about Samantha to Eve, but I was comfortable enough to tell about my story of meeting my lover and becoming this beast.

"About twelve and a half years ago, I moved from America to Hungary and got a job as a medical intern," I began to explain. "On my way to work, I was caught in a shootout and it turned out that Lycans were following me, as I carried a bloodline that merged both immortal species' blood together. That caught Selene's attention and she later confronted me before I got turned into a Lycan by a man named Lucian. Selene escaped with me, later turning me into a Hybrid. I was never expecting to get caught in the middle of a war that I didn't know about."

"Father?" Eve's line brought me back into reality. "You seem to be sad. Something wrong?"

I didn't want to talk more about my own life, even to my own daughter because I would have the urge to break down if I did. "I just wish this war would end soon, but I don't know it it will. I'm hoping, though."

* * *

_Selene's POV_

After searching the fortress, while at the same time staying hidden from the Lycans, we finally came across the prison cells; a five story atrium that contained vampire prisoners captured for interrogation and execution. Because it was an atrium and the Lycans stationed there, it looked close to impossible trying to find Ben's cell without getting spotted. We would stick out like a black mark on a piece of paper. What's worse was that because this fortress was ancient, there are no elevators installed and only one staircase per floor. But then, I looked at the prisoners from all of the floors; all of them wanting out of this hellhole. "Come to think of it, David, stealth may not work this time," I said, referring to our little quarrel we had earlier.

"Then what is your plan?"

"Let's break our people out."

David looked at one of the maps to the fortress on the wall. "Looks like there's a security room. Hope this thing controls the cell doors."

David installed a breaching charge on the door to the security room. As it exploded, we busted through the blown remains of the door and took care of the personnel there. "David, check the computer for Ben's cell."

David pushed one of the bodies off the chair and operated one of the computers there. "Alright, he is in cell 5-19. That's the top floor."

"Now find a way to release the prisoners. It will buy us time to find Ben."

David began to check off every cell except 5-19, since even Ben may escape in the confusion, which would result in us losing him. With the press of a button, the cell doors were released. Immediately after, we could hear sounds of gunfire and rioting from here. Then, the alarms blared with the male PA saying, "All guards head for the cell atrium. The prisoners are escaping."

* * *

_Joseph's POV_

"All guards head for the cell atrium. The prisoners are escaping," the PA repeatedly announced. We saw Lycans rush towards the atrium and sounds of gunfire.

"So much for stealth," I said.

"Someone else must be trying to find Ben," Garza assumed. "We should hurry before they do. Joseph, do you still have Ben's location?"

I looked at my phone again to confirm it. "He's at the fifth floor, sir!" We were currently on the second.

We examined the atrium after arrival with a massive riot ensuing between the vampire prisoners and the Lycan guards with the prisoners having the upper hand. "Fuck! The staircases are crowded!" Garza shouted. "We're gonna have to make our own way up there!" All three of us switched to a hook-shot and shot a grappling hook onto the fifth floor balcony, then we propelled ourselves there.

I looked back at the ensuing riot. Although the vampire prisoners were too dangerous to be set free, I felt a bit of compassion toward them. Having lost a lot of their species to both humans and the growing Lycans, it seemed like the Lycans deserved the retribution they were receiving.

"Joseph, Garza, I saw two targets just break into cell 5-18!" Eddie observed, seeing a woman in black and a younger man in a leather jacket breaking the cell door open.

"That's where Ben is!" I shouted. "We need to get to him now!"

* * *

_Selene's POV  
_

Ben was dressed in an orange prison outfit that was standard for all of the prisoners here. His bald head was slightly bruised, apparently by the beating he recieved from the Lycans. He looked at us as we approached him and asked us, "Who the hell are you?" he questioned in his British accent.

"We're here to take you to Detective Sebastian," I explained to him. "We just need to know any information you know about the Lycans."

"I asked for Joseph and his soldiers to come rescue me! Not you!" Ben shouted.

"What?" Suddenly, three soldiers busted into the cell. Two of them pointed their assault rifles at my head while the third point his own at David's. They all had a patch on their armor that had a skull with fangs as an emblem with their unit; the Special Immortal Activities Forces. One of the two that held me at gunpoint was the oldest of the three, around well over thirty years of age with a similar muscular build to Michael's; the other had a more slim build with long, straight brown hair, and appeared to be the second in command of this unit; and finally, the one that was holding David was much younger than the rest of them, though just as calm and brooding as the rest.

"Hands off my brother, madam," the second-in-command threatened in a charmingly calm tone.

* * *

**A/N: Allright, I'm gonna leave this chapter on a cliffhanger. I strongly encourage feedback, as I feel that I'm a bit sucky when describing action scenes.  
**


	4. Coven of the Red Iris

_Chapter 4: Coven of the Red Iris  
Joseph's POV_

"Drop your weapons and put them at the corner," Garza ordered the captured vampires to do, to which they complied. "Now put your hands up."

I recognized one of the vampires that we have held captive. Her name was Selene Valerious; one of three subjects held captive until they were reported on the loose two weeks ago. According to Ben, all three of them were considered extremely dangerous by Antigen and were responsible for its destruction. It felt too easy to restrain one of the most dangerous immortals alive, though.

"Who are you?" Selene asked us.

"SIAF, 54th regiment," I explained to the two captive vampires. "We're just here to pick up our cargo; just do what we say and no one gets hurt."

"I'll make sure you won't hurt them," said an ominous male voice. Suddenly, a gray claw grasped my right shoulder; another grasped Garza's left. What we saw behind us was terrifying; a beast of black hair, gray skin, and razor-sharp fangs. He growled at us loudly, scaring us shitless and forcing us to drop our rifles. Eddie was pinned to the wall by a young girl with a face that will haunt me in my dreams. Now it was _us _that were being apprehended.

I felt like I was in the breath of death until Selene told them, "Let them live."

They pushed us in a corner, then transformed back into their respective human forms. I recognized them as the other two test subjects, Michael and Eve Corvin; the latter of which Antigen had attempted to use the Corvinus Strain to strengthen the Lycans. Honestly, I was frightened, being in the same room as these dangerous immortals are, but after a couple of seconds, we started to welcome them.

* * *

_Selene's POV_

"Rest assured; we're not hostile," the commander of the SIAF squad said to us. "But we just need to know what you're doing here."

"I am a soldier fighting this war against the Lycans with the vampires. I was sent by Detective Alan Sebastian to intercept Ben for any leads on the Lycans," I explained. "And what are you doing here?"

"We're here to do the same thing," the second in command replied.

"The name's John Garza. I'm the commander of this regiment and expert demolitions," Garza introduced himself. He then points to one of the soldiers, who had long brown hair and a slim build, carrying a XM8 rifle with a red dot sight attached to it. "That's Joseph Walker; second in command and expert marksman." Then he pointed to a much younger soldier with a blond buzz-cut and slim build. "And that's our medic, Eddie Paulson."

"At least it's nice to see that you are all friendly," David commented.

"You told us that you had further information on Antigen than what we know now," Garza said to Ben. "What do you know?"

"Antigen was formed to ensure the safety of now just Lycans, but also vampires," Ben explained. "They signed a pact with a vampire lord named Stian Nihilani of the Coven of the Red Iris."

As Ben paused for a moment, Michael asked me, "Do you know this Stian guy, Selene?"

I didn't. Suddenly, however, I started to see visions of a warrior slaying Lycans with a sword. Judging by the armor and weaponry used, I assumed this took place in the medieval times and I assume that the man was Stian. The warrior had curly, snow-white hair, pale skin that was common to vampires, and red eyes; apparently the inspiration for the coven's name. He bore a mighty scar that went from the left side of his head down to the right edge of his mouth, which was odd considering that vampires typically cannot leave scars. "Selene?" Michael's comment brought me back to reality, to which I replied, "I'm not sure." Normally, a vampire could remember a vast amount of knowledge, but until now, I don't recall hearing about Stian.

I decided to shake it off and continue questioning Ben. "Why were some straggling vampires trying to hide from the Lycans? Why would the Lycans join a vampire force when they are enemy races?"

"According to Antigen, several remnant vampire covens had no idea of their intentions. They had become a thorn in their side, more or less; disillusioned that they are fighting the very race that is trying to 'save' yours."

"Do you know of any further intentions they have?" Garza questioned Ben.

"I couldn't investigate further; by the time the attack on Antigen occurred, the files were blacked out," Ben explained.

Suddenly, we felt a massive rumbling throughout the building accompanied by distant sounds of explosions. "That doesn't sound good," Eddie commented.

A moment later, the roof above us collapsed and outside, we saw a huge wave of stealth bombers leveling the building. "Those don't look like any stealth bomber I've seen before," Joseph observed.

"We need to get outta here, now!" I exclaimed as we ran out of the cell and to the atrium.

David looked towards the four SIAF soldiers and told them, "We're going to jump. We'll carry you on the way down." And we did so, landing on the ground floor of the atrium.

Debris fell from the five floors, raining down upon us on the ground floor. I observed the area, looking for a place that's safe from the rain of rubble. The hallways and cells would have collapsed on us if we took them and staying where we were is out of the question. Then I saw that the ground near the walls was receiving far less punishment. "Get near a wall. It's probably the only way we can get through this!"

Within a minute, the rumbling finally subsided. It felt like Armageddon and the atrium looked like as if it was so, except for the clear night sky. I'm not sure if any prisoners or even staff made it out alive, but considering that it has been a good forty minutes since the riot, hopefully some would have made it. "It looks like it's over…for now." I felt like more debris will collapse on top of us any second, as the structure seemed too unstable to hold.

"The exits are blocked," Eve noted. "The broken roof is our only way out."

"Alpha team, this is Mitch here. Heard you got yourself in a situation here." This transmission was sent to the three SIAF squad members.

"Yeah, they tried to turn this prison into a bloody burial zone!" Joseph replied.

"My chopper is in sight of the prison," Mitch informed, "From here, it looks like many of the prisoners are escaping the complex via buses," he then told, which relieved me that they were unharmed.

Soon, his helicopter was in sight from the broken roof; the spotlight shining towards us. Mitch launched a rope ladder down to the ground.

Just as the soldiers began to climb the ladder, a hooded figure jumped at the helicopter with a dagger in hand. Quickly, I threw a shuriken at the assailant, hitting him in the head, which caused him to fall to the ground. The figure revealed itself as a reddish-brown haired woman, dressed in leather robes. Her irises were red, the same color that Stian Nihilani bore and it's obviously apparent that she is a member of the Coven of the Red Iris. The bottom half of her face was covered with a black mask to disguise her identity, but somehow, the assailant seemed familiar to me, yet I couldn't put my finger on exactly who she is. "What the hell?" Michael observed.

Suddenly, she lunged toward me at a frightening speed; her black-bladed dagger pointing towards my heart. I quickly blocked her attack with my own knife. She then swung her blade in vicious patterns toward me; I could hardly defend myself.

"Selene, we need to leave, now!" Garza shouted.

But retreat for me was nearly impossible, as the assailant was so focused on ending my life. "Just go! I'll take care of her!"

"But—"

"Just go!"

But just as the helicopter began to leave, Michael jumped off the rope ladder. "Selene, I'm coming to help you!" He knew that the assassin was slowly beginning to overwhelm me and knew that I needed his help.

"Be careful, Michael. She is no ordinary vampire," I reminded Michael with caution.

"I'm always careful," he responded before slowly changing into hybrid form.

The assailant lunged toward us.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the long-ass delay. I had a lot of stuff going on in the summer as well as personal lack of motivation to continue writing this. But I'm back after the hiatus and I will assure you that the fifth chapter will not take THIS long. **


	5. The Snake's Venom

**A/N: Sorry that it took really long to update. I had a lot of schoolwork and other stuff I had to do. But finally, I've finished chapter 5 and hopefully, I might finish 6 about a month at the latest.  
**

_Chapter 5: The Snake's Venom  
Selene's POV_

The assailant continued striking at me with fierce strength as I barely blocked every single one of them. I tried to make myself a distraction so Michael could find an opening. But when he did, the assailant blocked his attacks with one free arm while at the same time continued engaging me, held him by the throat, and threw him across the room, then continued focusing on me.

I felt like this fight could be the last moments of my life. Granted, in war, this feeling is not uncommon for a soldier, but rarely has an enemy overpowered me like this. For once, I was actually fearful about my potential fate. The assailant was an extremely proficient duelist with enough strength and stamina to hold her own against two Corvinus-strained immortals. I had little chance at besting her in a knife duel, let alone survive. And to think that she is only a mere member of the Red Iris coven; I could hardly imagine what the other members have to offer.

* * *

_Eve's POV_

I was very reluctant on leaving my mother and father behind to hold off of the assailant. But I knew they stayed because they wanted us to be safe. Knowing that they have been through a lot throughout the war, they could possibly defeat her, but we do not know the extent of how powerful the Red Iris coven members are.

But then I had a vision of my tiring mother defending herself against this assailant and I knew that she was in danger. "We need to turn back," I told the SIAF crew. "Mother, Father, they're not going to make it!"

"No, our orders are to extract Ben to a safe location," Garza argued sternly. "We cannot risk returning to that area."

"Then you guys go; we will help Selene and Michael," David countered as he forcefully opened the helicopter door.

"SIAF High Command ordered us to send at least one of you back to Britain," Garza explained.

"Let them go," Joseph advised Garza. "I trust that they will make it." Before we jumped out, Joseph called us. "David, Eve, good luck."

* * *

_David's POV  
_

We jumped out of the helicopter and dashed to the path of the fortress as fast as we physically could. At the speed we were going, we could reach the fortress at around ten minutes.

I felt a bit suspicious towards SIAF when Garza told us that they needed a Corvinus-strained immortal to be sent to SIAF High Command. He never told us about it until we finally left to return to Selene and Michael. He never explained to us why they needed us and their motive seems to be eerily similar to what Antigen wanted.

* * *

_Selene's POV_

I leaped to higher ground, hoping I can slowly recover my tiring strength. I needed to get out of this destroyed fortress and run to the woods to retreat. Just as I landed in one of the balconies, the assailant jumped towards me at a frightening speed, but not before Michael lunged at her, pummeling her into a wall and then into the ground.

The assailant dropped her dagger as she hit the ground hard; her shoulders fractured as Michael crushed her. I took a moment to catch my breath before we both headed back down.

Michael roared at her in an animalistic nature, somehow in a more frightening matter than usual. "Hold on, Michael. I need to know more about this coven she's in," I said. Michael let go of his grip on the assailant and stepped back. I grabbed the assailant's black knife and held it across the owner's neck. "You will answer my questions or I'd be more than happy to shut you up."

"And I'd be more than happy if you knew who you were about to kill," she proclaimed her first line in a soft, yet eerie voice, which somehow sounded awfully familiar. "It's symbolic, this place used to be. We used to play around here when we were young. And now, here we are."

Suddenly, I began seeing visions of myself as a child, playing around in the same spot that the fortress was built. Whoever this assailant was, she was someone I knew a long time ago. "Who are you?" I exclaimed, ripping off her mask.

I recognized that face perfectly. It was Cecilia Valerious… my sister.

* * *

_Approximately around the 1390s_

"Ready or not, here I come!" I was a child, playing hide and seek with Cecilia and several other childhood friends I had at the time. Often, while doing so, I would easily find the rest of the kids; however, Cecilia was very hard to find, as she would often sneak between multiple hiding spots. She was like a ninja or any other kind of stealth warrior; she was very hard to find and by the time I call "Olly olly oxen free!", she would run and tackle me.

* * *

_2024_

"No…" I said in disbelief. "You were killed by Viktor."

"That's right. I died in the massacre six centuries ago," Cecilia confirmed, pulling the collar of her robe, exposing a huge bite scar on her neck; again, an unusual trait for immortals, but apparently common in members of Red Iris Coven. The mighty scar distracted me momentarily as Cecilia pushed me off my grip on her. "But I was rewarded another chance to live again." She lunged toward Michael, engaging him in a brawl before she kicked him into a wall; debris burying him.

Cecilia set her red eyes towards me. "Cecilia, why are you fighting us? It's me, Selene!" I tried to convince, but to no avail as she dashed towards me. I readied the black dagger, but she grabbed my wrist and pushed me into a wall. Her extreme grip forced me to let go of the dagger. Cecilia caught it and attempted to stab me in the chest. I barely dodged it, making a cut on my upper right arm.

I kept my distance from Cecilia. The cut she inflicted had a burning sensation, as if my arm was on fire. I sheathed my dagger once more and continued fighting her. "I don't want to fight you," I warned her, reluctant to duel my own sister to the death. "Why are you doing this?" I questioned during a brief pause in our duel before we continued clashing our blades.

"To assist Stian and his coven in the war against the human race," Cecilia answered. "For over a decade, many of our kind, both Lycans and vampires alike, have been slaughtered mercilessly by these savage animals. We will rebuild society from scratch and have the immortal race guide the world – that's why Stian began the coven."

"You think you can take on the humans in such a state? Have you seen what they could do not just to us, but to the world?" I was instantly reminded of the atomic bombings of Japan as well as the possibility of a nuclear war during the Cold War.

"They won't know," Cecilia explained. "No one will…not even you."

My vision started to blur and I started to feel both fatigued and nauseated. That knife she wielded – it was no ordinary weapon. Cecilia knocked me down to the ground and held me down with a firm grip on my right shoulder. "I just need to erase a flaw in our plan," she added in a cold tone. Her free hand attempted to plunge the black knife into my chest, but I grabbed her wrists with both of my hands to hinder her from doing so.

I was dumbfounded by Cecilia's willingness to kill me. Has Stian completely brainwashed her into this soulless killer? No…this must be a trick from the Red Iris coven to manipulate me into thinking that she is my sister; she would never kill her own sister. "Do you remember before our family was killed?" I tried to talk sense into her. "How everything before used to be?" My grip on her wrist was starting to weaken; it almost seemed that I was going to die tonight. "Would you kill someone you truly cared for?" I questioned her, knowing that I was going to give up my weakening strength.

"It won't even matter once the Red Iris has reformed the world," Cecilia replied heartlessly. And I knew that any attempt to reconnect with her was lost.

I couldn't hold on any longer, but suddenly, I heard a gunshot. The bullet shot into Cecilia's hand, forcing her to fling the knife away. "Get away from her!" It was David that shot her. He then unloaded more rounds into her torso, right arm, neck, and head, distracting her before Eve, in her hybrid form, emerged from the shadows, pushing Cecilia away from me. Badly wounded, she fell back to the third floor balcony.

"We will meet again, Selene," Cecilia ensured. "Until then..." She then left the fortress.

* * *

_Michael's POV_

I crawled out of the debris I was buried in and saw David and Eve tend to a wounded Selene. Despite a seemingly minor cut to the arm, Selene felt fatigued, as if she was bitten by a spider or a venomous snake. "Selene!" I shouted running to her position.

David handed Selene a plastic bag of cloned blood and ripped the opening open. "Here, drink this." Despite ingesting the bag's entire contents, she still looked frail and the wound on her arm was not healing. "Nothing's working," he said in frustration. "I'm not sure if she'll even be healed."

"We'll try something," I told him, despite Selene's deteriorating health.

David and I moved Selene out of the fortress with Eve taking point until we spotted a helicopter with its spotlight shining on us. The helicopter door opened to reveal a man of average build wearing a military jacket with combat pants and boots. His facial hair covered much of the lower half of his face and he boar long hair.

I instantly recognized him as he opened the door. "Lucian?"

"I knew you would have been here," he said to us. "Come aboard." After we have done so, the helicopter took off to a distant location.

Lucian observed the dagger Cecilia held and Selene's wound. "Element 120 Uuclidium: Recently discovered element that poisons the blood. You're lucky to come out alive, Selene." He grabbed from a medical kit a syringe. "This antidote will prevent the poison from worsening." He unfolded Selene's sleeve and injected the antidote into her bloodstream. "The fatigue will wear off within about an hour, but rest assured, you'll be fine," he told her.

"You seem to know a bit about the Coven of the Red Iris," I pointed out to Lucian.

"In fact, I was a soldier in Cecilia's Red Rose division," Lucian added.


End file.
